Podcast Summary: iOS Today 776 – Apps for Little Learners

Hosts: Micah Sargent & Rosemary Orchard
Date: October 30, 2025
Episode Theme: Spotlighting top iOS apps designed to help young children learn, create, and explore through engaging, well-designed, and educator-approved experiences.

Episode Overview

This episode dives into educational iOS apps designed for "little learners"–young children getting started with technology for fun and foundational learning. Micah and Rosemary showcase apps that teach math, reading, logic, problem-solving, science, and creativity, offering both their hands-on impressions and practical advice for parents and caregivers.

Key Discussion Points & Notable Segments

1. The Importance of App Store Editorial and the Category of “Little Learners”

[03:20] Micah Sargent:
Micah explains the inspiration for the episode, emphasizing that "little learners" is a somewhat new category for the show, distinct from past episodes focused on homework or broader educational apps.

"We wanted to talk this time about apps that are great for little learners—meaning young folks... there are some great apps available to you that will help you to be able to teach or, in some cases, just allow your child to run off into the world and create." [03:20]

2. App Demonstrations and Reviews

A. Khan Academy Kids

[05:00] Rosemary Orchard:

• Features:
  • Free educational content for young children (up to age 8).
  • Home and school modes; easy account setup.
  • Includes stories, counting, logic games, pattern matching, drawing, and coloring.
  • Offline functionality for use during travel.
• Personal Impressions:
  • Rosemary sets up a demo child (“Rose, age 4”) and explores math games with seasonal (Halloween) themes.
  • The app encourages listening to in-app audio for instructions.
  • Activities are interactive and age-appropriate, with gradual complexity.
• Recommendation:
  • "It's really hard to go wrong with the Khan Academy stuff. And Khan Academy Kids is designed for younger learners, I believe, up to age 8..." [07:36]

B. Fun Expected+

[08:37] Micah Sargent:

• Purpose: Interactive math learning with gamified activities.
• Setup: App tailors the experience to the child’s age.
• Demo Highlights:
  • Guided by in-app “star mission” and math warm-ups.
  • Micah reacts to prompts: "Press the button" [10:58] and "Great job" [11:06].
  • Noted as more engaging on an iPad due to touch interface.
• Caveat: Free to download, but some elements require in-app purchases.

"It's great visuals, great graphics and very engaging, but again, I think better on an iPad. That's called Fun Expected. It is available to download for free. You do need an in app purchase..." [11:54]

C. Thinkrolls: Kings and Queens

[14:22] Rosemary Orchard:

• Description: Puzzle-solving and logic games for young children.
• Versions: Free app with in-app purchases, or full app for $8.99.
• Gameplay:
  • Kid must solve puzzles to reach a dragon, building avatars and learning through trial and error.
  • Teaches problem-solving and critical thinking.
  • Rosemary says: "Who doesn't like problem solving skills?... A game which is like this, which teaches problem solving skills... works out really well and it's quite a bit of fun." [16:41]

D. Marco Polo Ocean / Arctic / Weather

[17:41] Micah Sargent & Rosemary Orchard:

• Marco Polo Ocean: Kids build submarines, explore the ocean, and reinforce vocabulary.
  • Received multiple awards (Parents’ Choice Gold, App Store Editor’s Choice).
• Marco Polo Arctic & Weather:
  • Entirely free with no in-app purchases—no “I want it now!” moments for parents to manage.
  • Features animals and environments, educational adventures, and creative play.

"You download the free app and you get everything for free. That's it—there's no option to purchase extras." — Rosemary [19:18]

3. Parental & Educator Tips

[20:46] Rosemary Orchard:

• Consult teachers for trusted app recommendations.
• Check for regional guides (like UK’s “Key Stage 1” apps) to ensure age- and curriculum-appropriate learning.

"I would recommend having a look and seeing what is available and recommended locally for you because that will also be tailored towards your education systems." [20:46]

4. Audience Interaction & Community Feedback

[21:47] Micah Sargent:

• Encourages listeners to send favorite app suggestions to iostoday@twit.tv.

• Listener Letter: Structured App for Energy-Aware Planning

  • Madeline shares how “Structured” allows planning tasks by both time and energy, helping manage cognitive load and avoid over-scheduling.

  "Structured has really helped me account for the cognitive load of my tasks and create plans that are achievable." [24:21]

  • Madeline also shares a photo of dogs Harriet and Ozzy playing, delighting the hosts.

5. Hardware Side Note: CarPlay Adapters

[28:12] Rosemary Orchard:

• Shares solution to CarPlay reliability problems after upgrading to iPhone 17 Pro: buying a new “GG CarPlay” adapter fixed her persistent connection issues and improved in-car display features.
• Advises others to try updating old adapters, noting wireless CarPlay options are now inexpensive (around $20/£20).

"If you have been having issues with a new iPhone... consider updating your CarPlay adapter. For 20 quid this was well worth the update." [32:00]

6. Closing Out: Club TWiT & Socials

[32:09] Micah Sargent:

• Details benefits of Club TWiT—ad-free shows, exclusive feeds, Discord access.
• Social links: rosemaryorchard.com and chihuahuacoffee.com.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• “Who doesn’t want to count pumpkins? This is amazing.” — Rosemary, in Khan Academy Kids (06:52)
• “It ends up being little apps that I kind of like to use myself. They are engaging, and I think that speaks to the design and the ability to pull in focus.” — Micah, on well-made kids’ apps (17:41)
• “Problem solving skills are however useful for everybody and I would suggest that everybody should try to learn them.” — Rosemary, on Thinkrolls (16:45)

Timestamps of Major Segments

• 03:20 – Why focus on “little learner” apps?
• 05:00 – Demo: Khan Academy Kids
• 08:37 – Demo: Fun Expected+
• 14:22 – Demo: Thinkrolls Kings and Queens
• 17:41 – Demo: Marco Polo Ocean (plus Arctic/Weather)
• 20:46 – Advice on seeking trusted app recommendations
• 21:47 – Call for listener app suggestions
• 24:21 – Listener review: Structured app for energy-based planning
• 28:12 – Rosemary’s tip: Solving CarPlay adapter problems
• 32:09 – Club TWiT, closing, and social plugs

Tone & Style

Warm, playful, and hands-on—Micah and Rosemary bring their lighthearted chemistry to demystifying kids’ learning apps, with plenty of encouragement for parents, teachers, and curious technophiles to explore, try, and enjoy these digital tools together.

Listen to iOS Today for more recommendations, feedback, and technology fun every week!